Enchantment (5 page)

She tried to look suitably cowed. It wasn’t all that difficult—if she thought about her situation—she was actually in deep shit.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Malachai, the head of the Order.” She’d suspected, but still a wave of fear washed through her.

This was the man responsible for the Laws of Segregation, for bringing Arroway to the brink of destruction.

She tried to remember exactly what Callum had told her. And with a jolt of shock, she realized that this man was Callum’s murderer. Her shock must have shown, and he stared down at her one eyebrow raised. “You’ve heard of me.” She nodded.

“All good, I trust.”

“None of it,” she snapped.

He raised an arched brow.

This was also the man who had sent Tallon after her and her mother. Had no doubt given the order to have her killed. Hatred burned inside her. This man held her mother captive. At least Shayla hoped he did. The alternative was that she had already been executed, and she couldn’t bear that. She licked her lips and forced herself to ask the question.

“My mother—is she still alive?” He gave a casual shrug of his shoulder. “As far as I’m aware.” She wondered briefly why the man didn’t just kill her. That had always been his intention. Had Tallon somehow persuaded him not to? She wished she could get Tallon alone and find out what had happened while they’d been parted. And she needed to hold him, to know that he was still hers. Unease gnawed at her insides. She had chosen him and now having him so close and being unable to touch him was driving her crazy.

Malachai straightened and turned to Tallon. “You want her?” Tallon’s eyes widened as though he hadn’t expected the question.“I can feel your hunger from here. Strange, from the reports I’ve read, you seldom go to the pleasure slaves, yet you want this one?” Tallon gave a casual shrug. “As you said—it’s been a long time.” Malachai looked from one to the other, and Shayla held her breath. There was no suspicion in his expression, just curiosity as though he couldn’t understand what was going on. She knew she had to give some sort of reaction, and she’d better make it convincing.

She reached out her bound hands to him. “Please, don’t give me to the Enforcer.” Malachai pursed his lips. She really hoped he wouldn’t listen to her. In the end, he nodded to Tallon.

“You can have her. Do what you like with her, but keep her bound. I’ll set up a ward around the perimeter—no magic will work inside the circle—it should keep her from trouble. But take no chances until we have her back at the Keep and she’s been neutralized.” Neutralized? Shayla didn’t like the sound of that. Just how were they planning on neutralizing her? She suspected she knew the answer and a shiver of unease prickled across her skin. Casterix had told her that the Order castrated all witches at birth, ripping their magic from them and leaving them empty shells. That’s what had happened to her own mother and that’s what this man intended now.

She couldn’t let that happen, but she needed to get to the Keep, she needed to find her mother, then she needed to find two more witches with the mark and somehow save the Goddess.

If Malachai stole her magic, she’d be of no help to anyone.

Even if he didn’t—what could she do? She had no control over her spells. If she tried to use the moon magic, she was as likely to do harm as good. It seemed impossible, and the enormity of what lay ahead was a hard, cold lump in the pit of her stomach.

“We return to the Keep in the morning,” Malachai said. He smiled a slow curl of his lips that sent a shiver running through her. “Enjoy the rest of the night.” He strode out of the clearing leaving her alone with Tallon. As she opened her mouth, he shook his head in warning, and Shayla bit the words back.

“Don’t say anything,” Tallon murmured almost too quiet for her to hear. “He’s watching from the tree line.” Shayla swallowed. She wanted to be in his arms to feel safe just for a little while. The need to touch him now he was so close threatened to overwhelm her.

“Order me to kneel,” she whispered.

Shayla watched as shock flashed across Tallon’s face. She silently urged him to understand—this is what Malachai would expect. Thankfully, the shock cleared and he gave a slight nod. He turned so he stood with his back to the spot where Malachai had disappeared.

“Kneel, witch,” Tallon said his voice carrying across the clearing.She moved onto her knees in front of him, awkward with her hands still bound. Her face was level with his groin, and he swore softly under his breath. She peered up the line of his body, to meet his gaze, dark and filled with a mixture of fear, doubt, and need.

“Oh Goddess, I missed you. I thought I’d lost you, that you were gone forever.” A shudder ran through his tall frame. “I need you.”She lowered her gaze. It wasn’t something she would ever admit to anyone, but this had been one of her secret fantasies of Tallon. To kneel before him, pleasure him. Her body responded to the thought, the muscles in her belly clenching tight.

“He’s gone,” Tallon said, his voice strained.

It took a moment for the meaning to come through. They were alone with no need of pretense between them. But this was no act. She didn’t want to stop now. Her own sex felt hot and wet, and she clenched her thighs together to get some relief.

The scent of him was driving her wild, all that masculine power so close. Through the dark material of his pants, she could see the line of his erection, and she leaned closer and kissed him. He groaned his surrender, and moved his hands to open his pants, his fingers trembling in the dim light. He was already swollen and hard, the skin like satin stretched over steel. She’d never done this for him. She blew gently over the tip so it pulsed and throbbed with a life of its own.

She breathed in deeply, then ran her tongue along the length of him. He tasted salty and sweet, and his cock twitched against her lips. She rolled her tongue around the flared head, then kissed the tip. Tallon’s hands threaded through her hair, hampering her movement and she glanced up to find him staring down at her.

Holding his gaze, she took him in her mouth. Sliding her lips wetly up and down his thick shaft, she relaxed the muscles of her throat so she could take him completely. She shifted back a little and concentrated her attentions on the head of his cock, grazing him with her teeth, lapping him with her tongue. She sucked hard, so his hips jerked toward her, and his hands tightened in her hair. He wasn’t pushing her away now. He held her close as she suckled, and she felt the pressure build within the lean hard lines of his body.

His head went back, every muscle tensing, then he was pumping into her mouth, and she swallowed convulsively. He stood for a minute, as visible tremors rippled through his body. Finally, he exhaled, then reached for her and dragged her almost roughly to her feet. She hoped he was acting in case anyone was watching them, but his face remained expressionless. He hoisted her in his arms and carried her to the edge of the clearing and then behind one of the huge standing stones. Shayla clung to his broad shoulders, awkward with her hands still bound, burrowing her nose in the curve of his neck, and breathing in the warm masculine scent of him.

He lowered her to the ground, and without speaking, he pushed her back against the rock and kissed her. It was a kiss of such sweetness, that Shayla melted against him, opening her mouth to the hard thrust of his tongue. Low down in her belly, her muscles tightened and heat flooded her core. She needed to touch him, but her wrists were still tied and she pushed against him.“Free me,” she muttered.

He stepped back, drawing the knife from the sheath at his thigh. Shayla held out her hands, and he cut the leather that bound them together. She rubbed her wrists and then reached up and cupped his cheek, loving the feel of his rough skin beneath her fingertips, and the energy that flowed between them.

“I need you.”

“I know.” He loosened the clasp on her cloak, and it fell from her shoulders and dropped to the ground. She was still wearing the clothes she’d got from Earth. Tight blue pants and a stretch shirt that clung to her curves. Reaching out a hand, Tallon trailed a finger over the swell of her breasts, and her breath caught in her throat.

Peeling the top from her, he tossed it onto the cloak. He cupped one full breast in his big hand, running the pad of his thumb over the already-swollen nipple and lightning darts of pleasure shot along her nerve endings. She could feel herself softening, growing hot and moist between her thighs, and she pressed herself into him.

“Take off your pants,” he said, his voice a low and husky drawl that sent shivers racing across her skin. She glanced around warily, but they were out of sight, and she wanted this.

She kicked off her shoes, then flicked open the fastener at her waist and stripped the tight pants down over her legs. For a moment, as she stood naked in front of him, a ripple of unease ran through her. She was vulnerable, and she dug her bare toes into the soft earth and stared at the ground. Finally, she raised her head, peered into his face, and all her fears vanished.

He was staring at her, his eyes dark with passion.

Right now, she needed him. They needed each other to reaffirm their love. They’d had so little time together. Soon she would have to face the future, the seemingly impossible task of rescuing her mother. Saving the Goddess. But first, she could have this.

He cupped her face in his big hands and lowered his mouth to hers. There was nothing gentle about the kiss. He nipped her lower lip with his teeth, and as her mouth parted, he thrust his tongue inside. Shayla gripped him around the back of his neck, pulling him down, pushing her tongue against his, losing herself in the taste of him.

After a minute, he pulled back. “Tell me if I’m too rough,” he murmured. “I’m new to this—I don’t want to hurt you.” She nodded, but the way she felt at that moment made it impossible; the need was growing inside her until the air about them throbbed and she worried that the surrounding warlocks would feel the thrum of power.

It was still so new between them. Tallon had a lot of pent-up need inside him—not that she was complaining.

He fell to his knees in front of her, kissing the flat plain of her stomach, his breath feathering across her skin.

“Please, Tallon, I need you inside me.” He slid his hands around to grip her ass, his fingers digging in almost painfully as he rose to his feet, lifting her with him. Shayla wrapped her legs around his waist. The rock was rough at her back, but she hardly felt it. One hand held her while the other moved between them, his clever fingers playing across her slippery flesh. He was a fast learner. He used his thumb to tease lazy circles around her clit, while one finger pushed slowly inside her.

The muscles in her belly clenched tight, and she writhed against him, all her concentration on that spot where his thumb massaged. Tingling darts shot along her nerve endings. The feeling was exquisite, the pleasure building inside her, then he squeezed it lightly between his finger and thumb, and she exploded. While the pleasure pumped through her system, he shifted her in his arms and positioned himself at the entrance to her body.

Already hard again, he pushed inside her with one fluid thrust of his hips. They made love in silence, needing the closeness, but aware of the enemies around them. Shayla tightened her arms around his shoulders and clung on as his movements became wilder, biting into his shoulder to keep from screaming out loud.

They came together, in a rush of emotion so strong that for a second she blacked out. When she came to, he was staring down into her face, his eyes filled with love.

“I dreamed of making love to you under the witch’s moon,” he whispered against her skin.

She looked over his shoulder, to where she could see the sickle moons hanging low in the sky and sent up a silent prayer that this would not be the last time.

Afterward, she pulled her clothes back on but placed her cloak on the ground and sank down onto it, hugging her knees to her chest, and watching as he straightened his own clothes.

“Are we safe?” she asked as he sank down beside her.

“Probably not. I don’t trust Malachai. And I suspect he doesn’t fully trust anyone, me included, but I think he believed my story.” She rubbed her face. “You hit me.”

“I couldn’t risk you giving us away to Malachai.”

“I don’t understand. How did he know about this place? What’s he doing here?” Tallon glanced away and she knew she wasn’t going to like the answer. “He said your mother told them.” Pain swept through her. “My mother would never tell them of her own free will. Oh Goddess, they must have tortured her.” He rested his hand on her thigh. “I’m sorry. But it may not be so bad. They might have used magic to get the information.” Shayla bit her lip. “We have to find her.”

“We will.” She thought for a minute. “Maybe we should let Malachai take me back to the Keep. That’s where I need to go.” Tallon shook his head. “We can’t risk him getting you back to the Keep as a captive. His power is strong there. If something goes wrong...” They’d strip her of her magic before she could do anything, and then there would be no one left to save her mother.

“So tell me where you were,” Tallon said. “What went wrong with the spell?”

“Nothing. I was drawn away by someone else.”

“Who?”

“Callum—Casterix’s mate. He’s still alive. Well not alive, exactly. It seems as though Casterix didn’t try to destroy the world—not on purpose anyway. After Callum was murdered— by your friend Malachai—she tried to bring him back from death.

She broke down the walls between the worlds searching for him.

It only half worked; he was brought back to life, but he was lost, trapped in a land between worlds.”

“He’s been there all these years?”

“Yes. I think he’s almost mad. He has this mirror, and he can see other worlds. He saw me, and the mark.” She lifted her hand and touched the crescent moon on her cheek. “He thought I was Casterix returned to him. He didn’t know she was still alive.” She reached out and rested her hand on his arm. “Tallon, we have to find some way to get him out, to free him.”